1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an article for cushioning and protecting various protrusions and areas, and more particularly to a moldable panel including a rigid thermoplastic plate having at least one flexible thermoplastic elastomeric honeycomb panel affixed to it, the moldable panel being thermally formable into any desired shape or configuration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Physical and sports-related activities are increasing in popularity and are drawing participants from larger and larger segments of the population. As the number of participants increase, the number of ill-conditioned participants also increases. As such there is an increasingly greater need to protect both experienced participants and those participants that are lacking in physical conditioning or proficiency from the physical impacts, rigors and risks prevalent in their chosen activities.
Protective body pads, such as knee and shin guards, bicycle seat pads, and other flexible and/or rigid body pads are widely used devices for protecting and cushioning various parts of the participant's body during sports-related or physical activities. Frequently, body pads incorporate rigid panels with flexible cushioning materials such as foams or gels. The rigid panel blunts the shock of an impact force and also spreads the force over a wide area. The cushioning material buffers the user's body from the rigid panel by absorbing impact forces imparted by the rigid panel to the body. In addition, the cushioning material shields the user from any rough or sharp surfaces of the rigid panel thereby comforting the user.
Foam materials are frequently used as a cushioning material in body pads. However, foams are very bulky for the amount of protection provided and yield very easily in the direction of impact. Thus, an effective impact absorbing foam pad must be relatively thick, bulky, relatively inflexible, and difficult to ventilate.
Honeycomb structures are widely used in body pads because they are flexible in the directions perpendicular to impact yet rigid in the direction of impact, and are very light in weight and give freedom of movement to the user. U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,183 issued to Landi et al, for example, discloses a protective shield including a core of light-weight flexible cellular honeycomb material with the axis of the honeycomb cell normal to the surface of the user's body. The disclosed device also includes a resilient foam elastomer layer to cover both open ends of a cell. However, the core is not constructed of a resilient material and, is prone to buckling upon impact to the shield.
Honeycomb core structures constructed from resilient materials have been used in body pads and shields. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,790 issued to Woitschaetzke et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,568 issued to Landi et al. disclose a flexible honeycomb material disposed in the sole of a shoe. In both devices the honeycomb material is not shaped to conform to the outer contours of the user's foot. Instead, the honeycomb material is shaped as a flat sheet which is disposed into a cavity formed in the midsole of the shoe. Because the honeycomb material is not shaped or contoured to accommodate the user's foot form, a shapeable layer (e.g. inner sole) must be placed on top of the midsole in order to cradle the user's heel and support the user's arch. This additional layer increases the weight of the shoe. More importantly, the inner sole does not effectively adhere to the midsole; it frequently slips along the midsole and bunches up in one side of the shoe causing discomfort and inconvenience for the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,607 issued to Landi discloses an improved bicycle seat having a rigid shell supporting a foam layer having a panel of thermoplastic elastomer honeycomb bonded thereto or embedded within. In this device, the rigid shell is initially formed into the shape of the bicycle seat. The honeycomb panel is then attached onto the rigid shell, and a covering material is used to sheath the shell and honeycomb panel. This product is costly to manufacture because the fabrication process is time consuming since the honeycomb panel must be extensively worked in order to attach it to the irregular contours of the formed shell.
Thus, there is a need for a panel for cushioning and protecting various protrusions and areas that overcome the deficiencies of the prevalent prior art devices.